Parliament

Question 1

When were the parliament acts passed and what did they do

Answer 1

• 1911 and 1949
• made commons the dominant chamber
• Lords can’t delay financial bills
• Salisbury doctrine: can’t delay manifesto bills

Question 2

What is the role of the speaker

Answer 2

• during elections stand as “speaker seeking re election” and usually no party oppose them e.g only Green ran against Lindsay Hoyle
• speaker resigns from their party
• decides who speaks and enforce rules of house e.g can’t call someone a liar
• decides what will be debated and decides whether to allow emergency debates
• if tie in voting they can vote

Question 3

What is the opposition

Answer 3

• second largest party in commons head of the second largest party becomes head of opposition
• appoints shadow cabinet who develop and scrutinize policies for each department
• referred as ‘government in waiting’
• term opposition can be all opposition parties but official opposition is second largest

Question 4

How does the opposition scrutinize government

Answer 4

• speaking against government and tend to vote against them
• Order No. 14 allocated 20 days each session for opposition to choose main topic of business and table motions 3 days go to smaller parties
• opposition asks up to 6 questions during PMQ
• select committees are cross party which scrutinize departments or issues allocated in proportion to number of seats
• temporary committees inspect bills

Question 5

What is the opposition leaders role

Answer 5

• if opposition leader tables motion of no confidence needs to be promptly debated in commons
• government has no majority mechanism called “humble address” demands papers from government
• opposition leader and whips get additional wages not shadow cabinet
• leaders from both sides communicate on important matters
• party leaders and whips from both sides communicate through the ‘usual channels’
• opposition doesn’t obstruct

Question 6

What is the role of backbenchers

Answer 6

• can introduce private members bills in parliament
• involved in debates in parliament
• roles in government select committees to scrutinize departments
• severely limited by party discipline and fear of losing whip

Question 7

What is the House of Lords

Answer 7

• unelected and subordinate chamber
• members known as peers don’t have salaries but get daily attendance allowance
• chaired by Lord Speaker (currently Lord McFall)
• different categories of member:
  
  • Hereditary peers
  • Life Peers
  • Lords spiritual: two archbishops and 24 senior bishops of Church of England

Question 8

What changes have been made to hereditary peers

Answer 8

• House of Lords Act 1999 got rid of all but 92 hereditary peers before there were more than 750
• Peerage act 1963 allowed hereditary peers to remove their title this allowed Alec Douglas Home to become PM and allowed female hereditary peers
• House of Lords Act 1999 created ‘elected hereditary peers’

Question 9

What are life peers

Answer 9

• Life peerage act 1958 allowed PM to appoint members to the Lords
• can’t pass down their seat largest category in Lords 681 December 2020
• 20% Lords are Former MPs aswell as leading figures in business and education and play more active par part in Lords
• PM change party balance in Lords using life peers